United States men’s national team forward Christian Pulisic has received quite a bit of criticism from analysts, fans and noteworthy individuals associated with United States Soccer following the Americans’ 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
United States Soccer legend Landon Donovan somewhat suggested that Pulisic quit on the team when he was forced off with an injury in the 59th minute of the Belgium game, when Pulisic’s leg was “still intact.” On Thursday, outsiders learned more about the seriousness of Pulisic’s setback.
Christian Pulisic could not have played through injury vs. Belgium
According to James Horncastle, Henry Bushnell and Paul Tenorio of The Athletic, Pulisic suffered a bone bruise and microfracture in his leg during the July 6 clash. Per ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, Pulisic will need roughly 4-6 weeks to recover from this injury.
“The estimated timeframe for Pulisic’s recovery puts him on track to return sometime in August, meaning he could be back in training ahead of the new Serie A season — AC Milan get their campaign underway away at Torino on August 23,” The Athletic added.
Why the Christian Pulisic update likely won’t stop criticisms about his World Cup
One might think that Thursday’s development would temporarily silence those who have ripped Pulisic since the United States was eliminated from the World Cup. That likely won’t be the case, particularly as it pertains to those who have questioned whether his body can hold up while representing the U.S. on the biggest of stages.
Pulisic suffered a calf injury two days before the USMNT’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12, and he then aggravated the injury during that match. Additionally, the 27-year-old, who was once hoped to be a United States Soccer savior, has tallied a total of one goal and three assists in eight career World Cup appearances.
“There are two interconnected reasons he plays for AC Milan and not a Champions League contender,” Carlisle wrote about Pulisic for a piece published on Thursday. “He’s inconsistent, and he’s frequently injured. Guess what happened this summer? He had a couple of good halves, had a couple of bad halves and was hampered by a hamstring injury the whole time.”
Pulisic’s next chances to answer such takes with his on-the-pitch performances will come at the club level.